We watched the film Food, Inc. this weekend. I've been hearing about it and wanted to watch it, but knew that I had to be prepared for how I was going to feel about what I was going to hear. Wow! Mario and I had some pretty strong reactions to the things we learned.
Four companies control 80% of the beef industry. The beef industry is controlled by the fast food industry. And the fast food industry has changed the food we eat. They have demanded cheaper food grown faster and bigger. The result is cattle that is corn fed, chickens that are harvest in a third of the time they once were at twice the size. Our meat is processed in huge factories in unsafe and inhumane conditions (for animals and humans) by illegal workers that the companies have recruited from Mexico (successfully recruited because these same companies have forced Mexican meat companies out of business). I gained a deeper understanding of the politics of immigration. It is maddening to me. These companies recruit, but they are not held accountable for their actions. The only people hurt are the illegal workers and their families, who are raided in their homes (shacks!) in the middle of the night. These companies are not raided. When their workers don't show up for work because they have been arrested do you think they have any problem finding others, desperate for work, willing to be paid under the table, to replace them? This is part of why you can go to McDonald's and get a juicy burger for a dollar!
Did you know that corn is subsidized by the government? This means we are growing it at a loss, so that it can be put in all of our food, CHEAPLY! This means that our government controls how the farmers grow and what equipment they need, which means the farmers put themselves more into debt to keep up with what the government demands, which further makes the farmers dependent on the government subsidies.
Oh, so many things to be angry about! But if you're still with me here, there is hope. I feel good about the changes that I've made. Buying grass fed beef raised by a local farmer and chickens that were raised by a friend. I don't think I'm ready to give up my boneless-frozen chicken breasts and the occasional roasted chicken from Costco. It's convenient. But I do use them less.
I won't become a vegetarian because of the things I know. I feel better when I eat meat. And I believe that God placed animals on this earth for our benefit. But we must act and eat responsibly. Now I better understand why grass fed beef and organic vegetables are more expensive. And now that I understand why, I'm willing to buy them more. I can not promise that I won't eat fast food ever again. But I do know that I already eat far less than I did years ago. And I will continue to try and eat less. And when I do go out to eat I can choose to eat at restaurants that act responsibly. They are out there.
We DO have choices and we choose by where we spend our money. I will be spending more of my food budget locally.
